Chic at Phil's Place

Steam 6 starts at midnight and while I know from past experience that there will be stores that aren't ready as the clock chimes in the new day, some have their prizes out. I did a tiny bit of hunting this eve heading off from The Julia Collection where the hint lead me immediately to the prize (a very pretty set of parasols that will surely come in handy for vintage attire). Of the gifts I found, this is the one I thought would be of greatest interest to the fashionistas. The outfit includes an open suit skirt which I cast off easily, frequently in tomboy mode.  A telescope and map hang from a leather strap. Find this at Brain Circuit. There is a version sized for guys too.

Steam 6 start location is here. There "should" be hints at each stop by the hunt posters. You can join the hunt group at the start location. In the past there has been a clickable list of hunt stops given out in group; it is not clear if this will be happening again, but if so you really want that list :D.

Have fun!


Poses by: EverGlow

Lots on my mind this morning. Fashion first -- for the feeds ya know. Shown here is another of the new mesh releases from JANE, the trellis oversized tee for the Mesh March Madness event which opens March 1.  Happily, it is AVOCADO. I added matching leggings from a JANE gift a few months back and lots of mixed bangles - love those multiple attachment points.

And yes, that was my segue line!  We would not have multiple attachment points if it hadn't been for a third party viewer. True, those "stomach2" points and the like only worked for those using said viewer, but we discovered we loved those options, couldn't do without them. Eventually they made it into other viewers and now we think of them as a given. That in part was the theme of Jessica Lyon's talk (Project Manager -The Phoenix Viewer Project) yesterday during open office hours. Third party viewers bring innovation. The devs work on projects for the betterment of the resident's experience, they themselves residents.

For those of you that live in your closet (no judgement intended), Linden Labs revealed additions to their Third Party Viewer Policy a few days ago.  Some of the functionality of the Phoenix and Firestorm viewers is now gone because of privacy concerns. Personally, I am in favor of anything that keeps our privacy -- we have so little these days with facial recognition software used on driver's license photos, etc. etc.   The last new rule is the one that upsets folks the most. It is a long and interesting story with yesterday's treet.tv show still being in post-processing as I type.

I showed up at the meeting two hours early to find plenty of folks already there. After problems with the feed, the show was on its way to opening half an hour late when the sims crashed. After some tricky TPing to Duke University and flying back once the sim came back, the sim went down again. That was the story of the day, more crashes (there were a lot of folks there but numbers dwindled over time), a Linden Labs restart during the middle of the show, an ejection of host, guest and crew from the sim they were filming on, more crashes -- you get the idea. The word "conspiracy" came up in IRC a few times and honestly after two and a half more hours I was ready to move into that camp.

The TV crew kept coming back in and it was interesting to watch the process on the live feed. The conversation stayed friendly and positive and joking. Lots of credit to folks dealing with too much adversity. The bottom line is that not too much is changing right away. Viewer tags and custom colors are gone; true online status will be changing. The question utmost in many minds is the future.

Third party viewers account for more than half of the traffic in SL. While I have no giant issues with the official viewer, I have been in the TPV camp since I met Kirsten in OpenLife long, long ago. I could compare the OpenLife viewer (Kirsten's) with the Linden Lab viewer and see which one I preferred :D. Ah, let's say it together now --- "choices".  Honestly there are some things in the third party viewers that I would hate to be without -- like derender for example. Many content creators are worried about the future of temp textures.

Think about it from the developer's point of view, as creators. How willing would you be as bloggers or fashion creators (my main audience) to make an outfit or style an outfit, take photos, put together vendors or blog posts et al -- IF you had to get the OK from Linden Labs before posting or selling?  That gives you an idea how the folks that have been improving our viewers must feel.  Projects like getting mesh to conform to an avatar's body rather than using five sizes and alpha layers might disappear. So much work and money wasted.

There is one bright spot on the horizon. It takes more than the fingers of both hands to count the times The Labs have done a reversal of (or simply never implemented) policy.  From charging vendors to put free items on the Marketplace, to trademark protection policies of their brand. If you are a few years old, you probably have your own list. So while The Labs definitely don't have the pulse of their denizens, they do seem to listen to their outcry.

With that in mind, you might want to join the I <3 Firestorm or I <3 Phoenix groups -- or any other third party viewer group you are a fan of and let The Labs know that we, the populous, want to keep our choices!

You can find the groups in search or look for the Firestorm one in my profile.

Poses by: aDORKable, "Legs" Festival of Sin (new) and the noctis chair

A new month is on the horizon and with it a change of seasons, the promise of flowers and greenery and some new events.  I spent the afternoon on the trail of the Beauty and the Beast Hunt, a Gorean Gridwide event. Now I am not in the Gorean camp but there are often items that cross interests and there were a few in this hunt. My two favorites are shown here. A really lovely necklace from The Legacy, stop number #57 is pick one.

My second pick of the hunt is a collection of roses from Trident #50, a store I have visited often in the past when looking for things that grow. There are a variety of bushes, all multiples and each one prim. Two sizes (4 and 7 meters) are shown in the background. These are truly lovely and a great addition to your Spring and Summer gardens.

I can't give this hunt lots of gold stars. Hints often seemed obtuse (not the two stores mentioned here happily), many landmarks repeated, seemed wrong or went nowhere  (may just be a temporary thing) and in general I thought the search more difficult than most. Hence, I only found about half of the items in half of the stores, maybe less. Still these two prizes are well worth going after.

Now I bet you are wondering about this gorgeous dress -- well how could you not? It is new from JANE for the Mesh March Madness event which open March 1. The shop layout looks very easy to navigate and there are sure to be some great things there. I can happily report that this was just one of many boxes I received tonight and the only one I had time to open. Since it was perfect for my post and fit superbly (many sizes are included), it was the winner for the eve. I am definitely looking forward to opening those other boxes. It's almost like Christmas.

So stay tuned and get ready for some lag and some fun as the calendar page turns.



Poses by: aDORKable "Legs" at Festival of Sin (new)

It's the end of the month and time to report on a few items that are time sensitive. The Festival of Sin is still open and if you missed the lagfest, now is the time to get over and peruse all the shops. This Mokum dance pole is a festival release from Cheeky Pea. It is texture change and includes 22 dances for gals and 6 for guys. There is a simpler version at four prims; this is eleven.

The metal stage set is not included, just something I was working on yesterday that was still out on my building platform -- and fit. Synchronicity.

This Horror Haute dance ensemble, SnowBlood, is available for a couple more days at Blue Blood. It comes complete with blood trimmed full skirt. And this very nicely made Victorianesce hair is free from Alli&Ali. HURRY, this Marketplace special is up today.

Poses by: the pole and !SyDS!

There is plenty to see at Invisible Cities, a group build that opened today with various areas to explore. This is the build by Marcus Inkpen. Lovely to look at and mysteriously captivating, it is a quiet city that whispers of secrets hidden behind closed doors.

My outfit is new from Blue Blood. The Diana dress comes in a variety of colors with pink being the winner of the eve. A belt and stockings are also included. The skirt is sculpted for an always flared look. The gloves are outstanding.

Poses by: Vista Animations

You definitely don't want to miss this. "This" is both the newest build by Claudia222 Jewel called Spirit AND this fantastic avatar that she is giving away at the landing point.  I have been over today filming and while it is laggy (fame will do that) it is also a joy to behold. Grab a friend or a camera (or both) and journey over. There is plenty to see. The visitors are, themselves, something to behold.

The avatar comes with a shape but I used my own long armed and leggy one for an even more outer-worldly vision. The skin is especially scrumptious.

You will need a mesh viewer to see the build and the avatar.

Poses by: LAP

Just out from Sway's, two bed sets for single gals of any age. One themed pink, the other blue, the daybed comes complete with tons of props for a realistic at home feel. Ten poses with adjustments are included with the bed. There is even a pose for getting those pesky socks from their hiding place.

Props appear as needed; books, alarm clock, diary, blanket et al.  The bed weighs in at 21 prims. Add the decor items and your count will be at 59.

I am difficult to fit animation wise, but these static poses worked very well for me -- happily so. You can try out the different options including a sleeping pose with magically appearing blankie cover at the shop. Lots of fun for the girl inside who wants to come out and play.

I spent much of the day filming and editing, so I decided to share a shot or two of the outfit called "U cannot play my music" from AngelsDemons. Yes, it IS strange and not something I would wear lounging around my garden, but I do love it in part because it IS so different. Sometimes a really good fitting pair of jeans is exciting. Sometimes you need more for a thrill *wink*.

So here's to all the creators who dare to move outside of the safety zone of the masses. There are a few; you probably know their names. This outfit is part of the MIX + MESH Spring Fashion Fair 2012. I for one am looking forward to it.

When I opened up a box of goodies from AD Creations I was immediately drawn to this design called "Circus". Part of the MIX + MESH Spring Fashion Fair 2012, it gets thousands of points for creativity. I absolutely ADORE the feet which curl over the balancing balls. Definitely a love affair going on there.

I have to admit that I was very happy to have this outfit for filming purposes. I just completed the first entry (over-achiever Chic) in the University of Western Australia's fifth machinima contest with the theme "Seek Wisdom". It has been well received and is a good work that shows off the campus nicely and follows the theme. I am happy with it.  But the artist inside me wants to do something WAY outside of the box, slightly bizarre and immensely creative. I don't expect to win come June, but I want to add something memorable to the great films that are bound to emerge. I have a vague plan which is all I ever have, and today I went over to my neighbor's LEA13 exhibit and filmed. So very perfect!

Also perfect for this costume, one of the many new fantasy skins just out from [Katsucide]. This is the Sandra Cendre - Ensoleillee - Light. There are two darker gray tones available. All are monochromatic gray tones except for the makeup.



Poses by: AKEYO, Props N Poses

Greed is right up there in the list of sins.  And if you are a greedy b*tch, Long Awkward Pose has a collection of props and poses just for you.


This is my favorite, aptly named "Bet Your Bottom Dollar". it comes with pose prop, credit card mouthy, extra scattered hundred dollar bill prims and three different sculpted bills to rez as you like. Definitely fun.  Find  LAP in the Greed section.  There is a gift pose with this same theme, so don't miss picking that up while you are planning how to best bathe in those crisp bills.

Two other tips for the Festival of Sin, Hanaya (across from LAP) has a really pretty (large) flower arrangement gift as a dollarbie.  Frooti has a huge pack of 18 poses, many of them both different and fun, out as a gift. Sorry, there is no festival landmark for Frooti in the pack and all was pretty gray when Lani was visiting last eve. Just keep your eye out while exploring.

And while it is early, I am calling this my Color of the Week post for "dandelion".

Poses by: LAP

No new clothes today; please see yesterday's post for details on my superb new accessories. Love this look.

MEANWHILE, venues abound -- one being the Festival of Sin. Now I don't actually know anyone who has gotten IN to the festival yet; those nasty "parcel not found" messages keep appearing, but since it lasts until March 3 you can get there.  Perhaps they aren't quite open yet :D.

I have already seen a lot of fantastic new releases for this event, none seem very "sinful", but hey -- I care not. This new Ka'u Beach Skybox from Trompe Loeil is stunning. Large and well-designed with some modern furniture included and a completely open air at night feeling, you can almost hear the surf crashing and the crickets chirping.

The skybox keeps you at midnight, but never fear -- there is a full moon (insert howling here) and a beautiful glow on the water. I particularly like all the lighting fixtures -- both interior and exterior. They give enough luminescence for just the right atmosphere.

There is a bed with a texture change painting above -- all very nicely done. The MESH MESH MESH (want you to know you need a mesh viewer for this *wink*) skybox has baked in textures and I can vouch for the outstanding look of the furniture even without shadows and other fancy graphic settings. You can see the display inworld here.

For those of you that cannot get into the Festival of Sin for age verification reasons, you can purchase it on the Marketplace.

My last big tip for the day -- or maybe the weekend depending how lazy I am -- is this great book set from LARK. It is part of the Spruce Up Your Space weekend. The theme is "Bad Romance" and I am guessing that most of us have had at least one of those. The books are lovingly handmade. Three different styles are included with various prims counts. These are not one prim books (2, 3  and 4 prims), but they are so pretty!

Click for a larger photo.

Most of you that read this blog know I seldom shop. I have so many lovely things, there is really no need. But shop I did today as these books were not a review item. And they weren't all that expensive either, so get over to LARK if you love the written word.



Poses by: Vista Animations and furniture

Sometimes it is the accessories that make the look. Still in golden tones, I have three great new releases to show you. Happily they coordinate. As many of the 52 color gals, I have a fondness for that search tab when looking for our color of the week. It works just as well when you really don't know what "gold" items you might have in your wardrobe *wink*.

This casual look with just the right touch of glamor was fun to put together. In the newness arena from top to bottom we have ---

{Zeery} Neck Draped Scarf :: Animus :: Subcaerulus for the Back to Black event. This is a gorgeous, silky scarf that comes in a variety of colors (same pattern).


And --

FINESMITH clutch bag - sequins gold mesh which can travel from contemporary to vintage without the least bit of effort. There are many lovely colors of this item.

Click thumbnail for larger photo.


These new MESH heels from lassitude & ennui are billed as boudoir mules and they would of course look lovely with tiny intimate apparel. But there is no way I am only going to wear these at home. They work with all sorts of attire.

You have your choice off all mesh (this includes feet) or just shoes and toes. I am wearing the all mesh version. A hud is included and I had no trouble tinting to an appropriate color. There is a choice of nail polish of course. Colors include black, purple, red, silver and gold.

Click for a larger photo.


Poses by: Torrid Midnight

The seasons are changing and while some of us are looking forwards to Spring, others and moving into Fall.  The new Amira set from Graffitiwear comes in lots of colors. I immediately opened the one called "Autumnal". You see I had a very pretty new MESH chaise under my cherry tree just waiting for a correspondingly toned outfit *wink*.

Now the Amira outfit comes with a long skirt and it is a pretty one. Be we all know that skirts and chaises don't play well together in SL. And, I am most comfortable in pants when working and such. The good news is that the glitch pants can do double duty and nicely.  The head wrap is separate from the scarf so you have choices in accessories. The belt fits me perfectly so I am a happy gal there. The hair in the hood is blond and mod so if you have some intermediate building skills you can adjust to fit your favorite hair color. Update: Woops, silly me. The hair is color change. Click to get a menu of ten colors. It also has a resize script.
 
So here I am lounging on the new Cheeky Pea Charlie Chaise. Are you ready for some SIN?

The Festival of Sin opens on Saturday! and this is the offering from the Cheeky Pea shop. The chaise has four sets of color combos with this being "grunge". It is also packed full of poses including reading (book magically appears). Find it here when the fair opens. This is an ADULT sim that appears to requires age verification so some folks may not be able to visit.

Poses by: Vista Animations and the chaise

This week's color is dark raspberry, a pretty hue that works well for me. This frilly dress is a hunt prize from awhile ago; very feminine with back and sleeve cut outs and a layered skirt. I took myself over to a fellow LEA artist's newly opened venue - 15 * 30 m * 30 d where 15,000 prims are set 30 meters above the sim and will meet in the middle after 30 days. I am a mediocre scriptwriter. I can tinker and get thing accomplished, but something of this caliber is mind boggling for me.

My dress was from Utopia. My new EMO-tions hair releases this SATURDAY. I really love this one. It is gently pinned in back with messy front and could easily cross into period and roleplay duties as needed. Sure you will be seeing more of it.



Poses by: Diesel Works

A quick post just in case you STILL need to shop for tomorrow's holiday!  If you love pink and things slightly naughty, then this new set from Paradisis may just be for you. Cupid Kiss is a complete set that even include boots. Not THESE boots, but some very nicely made neko styled numbers with oversized legwarmers et al. Those are just not me so I opted for a plainer lassitude & ennui style.

The collar is very cute and includes hearts going down the back as well. Lots of belts and some very pretty solid white nylons round out the set. While you can't see them, there are some matching undies in the same lacy pattern as the bra. Very pretty!

Have a great lovers holiday!

Poses by: aDORKable Bag Lady II

Now I am perfectly willing to admit to being tardy on this one -- except that it just arrived in my inventory this morning. Doing some research, it seems like it was sent to the group on the 11th and according to the accompanying note it was only available for  Project Themeory's theme of "love is in the air" for that day.

What is the "it" in my previous paragraph? Why the Back to Back pose of course from BOOM. It is very nicely done and I am hoping to include it as part of a new film, so of course I wanted to show it to you. Group messages and deliveries have always been spotty, so I guess this isn't new news. Just to make sure I hadn't overlooked the delivery (and I do that at times), I checked my "acquired" date and the box came in last night just before midnight. At least my sanity is still in check :D.

ANYWAY, it is a very cute pose. Credit given.

Pose by: Boom

It is getting close to that lover's holiday. And even if you don't HAVE a lover, you can treat yourself like you hope your would-be lover would.  That  means flowers and candies (chocolate preferred of course).  Wearable roses from -Hanaya-  Yummy Collectibles & Art Gallery let you feel loved -- even if just from yourself *wink*.  There are also display versions in vases and boxes should your prim allowance allow. 

My retro lingerie is from Reasonable Desires, a new release called Valentina.


If you think I am looking a little pale, it is simply this new fantasy skin from Akeruka called Wicket. Eight different eyemakeups (all similar to the one shown) let you be stunning even perhaps after death.  The body of the skin is simply shaded so the main draw is the lovely face.

Last up are these great new MESH boots from lassitude & ennui.  The Flutter boots are for the Back to Black event and will be available until February 29th (oh a leap year!). There are also two luscious dark toned versions with patterns in red and teal (my fave). With five sizes to choose from most avatars can find a perfect fit. I am wearing small.

Poses by: Adorkable new Bag Lady II

It's turning green in my neck of the woods. Little plants are stretching their necks, pushing out from their winter bed. Time for some outdoor adventures and maybe a bit of bird watching. You can pick up this great binocular set with spiffy case from BP over in Drowsy. Look for the stack of tan hat boxes to get your gift. It had been a long while since I had visited Drowsy. I was pretty bereaved when the library was taken back into storage.

Drowsy is a dense forest these days with meandering wooden paths that lead to secret resting spots. It is all quite cozy and magical with a few opportunities to buy things along the way. With tons of great photo ops and plenty to explore, you'll want to venture over soon.


These new boots, just out from
MayCreations, are perfect for stomping around in the woods and marshes. This is the combat version with knife, bullets and small pistol. Other styles including plain are available.

They come in small and large versions and are manually mod. 

Click photo for larger picture.



Poses by: binoculars, couch and LAP

Going back in time is always fun and this new flapper dress with two choices of skirts (this the shorter version) let's you revisit times of almost a decade ago. Find the Jazzy Flapper dress complete with headband at Sassy!. Jewelery by Eclectica. Shoes by Kalnins.

Poses by: Diesel Works

We seem to have entered into those colors I have never heard of category this week with "Folly". Folly is a pretty red barely on its way toward the blues (or purple land if you prefer). This according to Luna's color swatch and my monitor.

Happily I had an exotic new release that fits the bill. The *VoguE* Qipao dress comes with minimal layers that keep your inventory in check (what a concept *wink*). There is a prim skirt and collar with frog -- at least that is what my mother called them -- button.

Very pretty; quiet exotic.

Poses by: LAP

Packed full of newness, this post has top to toe goodies. First up this very cute peasant blouse from Sassy, the Poet Shirt. Classic and casual, it is at home with long skirts, minis or jeans.

Side swipe Lexi hair (hairbase included) from Tameless Hair is perfect for showing off earrings like the matching ones to this Infinity necklace from KOSH.

With such great new casual attire, I can relax on my new chair and ottoman (various poses including ones for the hassock) from Allure which I picked up at Seraphim (group gift). The super cute stack of MESH suitcases with books makes a perfect accompaniment. It is part of a set from Trompe Loeil  for COLLABOR88. The - Novel Decor Bedroom Duo includes -- well a BED of course, a nice king sized number in coordinating colors with both reading and sleeping poses.


And down at my pretty little feet, we have a new release of color change suede wedge boots from A-Bomb. The Paige boots come with a hud and six choices of colors including brown (shown) and black as well as some accent hues.

These are extremely comfy and a great choice when sneakers are just a bit TOO casual :D.

Click the photo for an larger view.



Poses by: Vista Animations, furniture and LAP

Those of you in the Firestorm camp (Chic Aeon raises her hand) most likely know there is a brand new release out as of yesterday. I couldn't get into the sim for office hours OR onto the stream at the beginning, but did hear the last 45 minutes or so of the meeting. Some great new features have arrived with lots more in the works. You can get to the downloads from the main Phoenix-Firestorm page.

And a great big thanks to whoever took the time to take an original photo and feature my LEA installation as part of the Phoenix login screen. I have really arrived *wink*. Thanks also to my RL friend, "EE", for letting me know about the glory points and taking this screenshot. I don't see them on Firestorm it seems; I will have to see if that is an option.

Lots of folks have been stopping by and that makes me happy! By the way, you can pick up the umbrella shown in the photo, complete with photogenic pose at my installation at LEA12.

Update: Looks like my installation is also in the SL Destination guide. So thanks to the editor that gave me a thumbs up and  perhaps the "Linden" who took the photo? Works for me.

/me runs off doing a happy dance

Day two of my own personal lingerie show is brought to you by deviousMind and my friend Chandra (who I haven't talked to in awhile - hint, hint, as I know you read The Blog :D). This is one of the many colors and styles (so many layers and choices) of the Good Girl set.


Poses by: Juxtapose

I am a little late to the party as I somehow missed the post on Gogo's lingerie challenge. But better late than never. So expect to see some of my favorite underwear designers in the next few days.

This is the Ange Leaf Satin Lingerie Set by INSOLENCE.

Poses by: Diesel Works

If you like romantic period attire, it doesn't get much better than this Shady Grove set from Wishbox. Aside from being to die for lovely and beautifully well made -- it is free. There is a bit of a catch, and you will have to decide if this if for you. Simply go to this page on the Wishbox blog to get the details. Scroll down past the very pretty red roses to find the info you need.  The short version is that you need to "Like" an item using your Facebook account. Since the typist has no Facebook account (gasp), Chic's was the vote that counted.

I took a trip over to Winterfell to find that the snows had melted and green was the color of the day. The dappled light and calm serenity were a perfect backdrop for this dress. Short sleeves are included should you like things a bit simpler.

My jewelry is a lovely new set from Eclectica called "Opulence".

Pose by: Vista Animations